M.I.A. Forbidden From Taking Son Out of the U.S.

Alternative rapper M.I.A. is a cultural lightning rod, whether she's talking politics or making comments about other musicians in the media. She's also dealing with some pretty intense drama in her personal life regarding her child and her ex. A court has banned M.I.A. from taking her son, Ikhyd, whom she gave birth to three days after a Grammy performance in 2009, out of the country.

Ikhyd's father, Benjamin Bronfman, asked a court to prevent her from taking their son out of the U.S. against his wishes, and M.I.A. was subsequently hit with legal papers that forbid her from doing so, according to WENN.

M.I.A. and Bronfman split last year and have been battling for custody of their four-year-old ever since. Both parents live in Brooklyn, N.Y., but M.I.A. has apparently been texting her ex and threatening to bolt for her hometown of London.

The controversial rhymer posted a series of accusatory tweets suggesting that Bronfman and his family, who are music business moguls, were trying to wrest custody of the child away from her permanently. Those inflammatory tweets appear to have been deleted.

This has the makings of an epic custody war, though on a happier note, M.I.A. is expected release an exceedingly positive new album, 'Matangi,' later this year.